Space Wolf Lord : Step by Step (UK & FR versions)

UK TEXT :This piece is a particular commission. The customer wanted something very particular : “I want you to make a Space Wolf Terminator, but you can do what you want”… Basically I was free from start to finish. This is not pretty common, but when it arrives, it’s just pure pleasure for a painter !

Transformation

UK TEXT :
First idea to come to my mind, was to make a more “brutal” and “savage” version, than the kit normally allows. A rustic style, more fantasy.

Before starting the miniature, I start by making a little scenery element : a shield that’s related to Space Wolves. I start by rolling Super Sculpey and then make a fine plate. I trace furrows in it, to create boards.

UK TEXT :
With a compass, I cut the shield at the size I want. Then, with a brush, I give some texture to the wood. I add few impacts. I finally add the legio symbol, that comes from a ForgeWorld etched-brass

UK TEXT :
I finish the shield by outlining it with Green Stuff. It’s really simple, you just have to add a little bit of putty all over the shield, and then flattened it. Just be careful, keep the same thickness everywhere.

The Space Wolf Lord / Le Terminator Space Wolf.

UK TEXT :
For the character, I decided to make a more “savage version”. It’s also the reason of the tartan. Space Wolves always had this pretty celtic iconography, a bit scottish, if not viking sometimes.
To make the tartan, I used Milliput and Green Stuff mixed together. I simply tried to take care, on the torso, when making the folds.

UK TEXT :
I decided to change the axe for a more “simple one”. Something a bit far from the 40K weapon, a more “old one”. To have some consistency with the tartan. Nothing to complicated, a simple axe. No special energy, just a blade.
I started by cutting the official weapon, then I added a pin in it.

UK TEXT:
The blade is glued to a brass rod, and I use some putty to make the conical joint to the weapon. I finish with a little bit of Milliput on the top to simulate the rivet that maintains the blade to the brass.

UK TEXT :
With the airbrush, I based the armour with a mix of Greatcoat Grey P3 and de Frosbite P3 (an equivalent to GW Space Wolf Grey). The lights are done with Frosbite P3, then with Ivory from Prince August.
For the shadows, I used very few touches of black and Catachan Green from GW. Ultramarine blue from Lefranc Bourgeoies is also used in intermediate tones, to obtain a little bit more saturation.

UK TEXT :
For the gauntlet, I simply followed Space Wolf iconography. The pattern is drawn with white, and then based with Bubonic Brown from GW. Shadows are done with Snakebite Leather (GW), then Scorched Brown (GW).
Lights are made with Naples Yellow (Lefranc Bourgeois), and finally Ivory.

The black is done with simple hightlight of black and Frosbite. Then, to simulate a reflection, a line of Frosbite is added. I finished by a little white point of light.

The tartan

UK TEXT :
Making a tartan is pretty simple in fact. I did some researchs first. And then, I tried on paper. The green of the tartan is painted before doing any lines, with hightlights and shadows.
When it was done, I started by drawing vertical lines of Regal Blue from GW.

UK TEXT :
The last two steps were about using Naples Yellow inside the red and blue lines. And if it was important to not shake, now it’s really important to be extremely concentrated. Once done, I used Red Gore to finish the pattern by drawing very fine and vertical lines between each blue stripes.

That was for the stripes. The thing is now to shade all along the folds of the fabric. With dark green juice, I just glazed the pattern. Thus, where the lines are in a fold, they become darker than the raised areas.

UK TEXT :
Here is a picture of the miniature at that stage. The face has been worked by using the “gruff” character’s side. So I forced the ruddy appearance of shadows. The base is in Tallarn Flesh GW, shadows in Sanguine Base P3, and the lights in Naples yellow, and then Ivory.

Note that the model is in cold tones, and the face is in warm tones. It is therefore easy to make it a focal point. A very common technique, but a proven one for sure.

UK TEXT :
I wanted to use a transfer for the Space Wolf symbol. But I didn’t have one ! So after searching on the Internet, I found a good tutorial to paint different symbols of the legio.
I also found this “Bay at the moon” symbol, that I decided to reproduce.

UK TEXT :
The axe was painted with metallic colors. I based it with Mithril Silver GW + black. Shadows with black, lights with Mithril, then Chrome from Prince August. Some very fine glazes of inks are used (mostly Gryphone Sepia from GW) at the end, just to obtain a smootherfinish. For the blood, I used Tamiya X-27.

UK TEXT:
For the back, I simply used the same pattern as the gauntlet. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s that kind of thing that gives coherence to a miniature.

Fur trinkets were based with a mix of Scorched Brown and Snakebite Leather. All shaded with increasingly Scorched Brown, and a hint of black. I set up the lights with cream color, like GW Bleached Bone. I used fine washes of SnakebiteLeather in the midtones, and with diluted brown ink in the shadows.

UK TEXT :
The miniature is glued to the base. The rock, which would anyway disappear mostly under the snow, was painted to easily integrate the Terminator. So I used a grey/green with purple shadows, and slightly yellowed lights.